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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

This is why we have always had our TVs and furniture strapped to the walls!! I've had a bad feeling about the TV since we got here. We set one of my mom's TVs up on a cabinet/end table for the kids to play Wii. Today we heard a huge crash and ran in to see the TV face down on the ground and the cabinet on it's side. Thank God neither of the kids was under it.

From what we could find out, Austin pulled on the cabinet and knocked it over. It did hit Austin on the way down though. The whole side of his face was red and swollen from his forehead down to his cheek. I took him to the emergency room and they ended up doing a cat scan, which thankfully turned up clear--just bad bruising. I have been sick ever since it happened. I feel so horrible and I keep picturing how bad it could have been. I am just so thankful both boys are ok. No more Wii--not until we have a safer place. And the tv didn't fare as well--it no longer works.

I just can't even describe how scary this whole experience has been for us. Now we're off to Sonic. We promised him a slushy for going into the cat scan so bravely. Not a sentence I thought I'd be typing today.

We had a fabulous time at our family reunion in Pine Valley, Utah. The weather was perfect and the company even better. I can't believe how well all the cousins got along. It was so wonderful to see family from all over. The adults had scavenger and treasure hunts and lots of activities for the kids. They loved it. My favorite part were the midnight hikes a few of us took every night--even if my mom and cousins kept trying to scare me with ghost stories--yes I'm a big wimp--LOL!

The only sad part is that Mike couldn't come :( The boys and I had a blast though. We stayed at a cabin, but also rented a campsite and let the kids go play there. They loved the creek and the tree swing. We all loved the dutch oven cooking and s'mores we had one night.

One of the days, I took Austin and Brendan on a photo hike. These are some of the pictures they took.

Anyway, we're glad to have survived the long drive home yesterday and are ready for a rest. Still haggling with the builder over a house--hopefully we'll get it soon :)

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Well, the seller on that house wouldn't budge on the price. In this market, that's ridiculous. It's a nice house, but there are brand new ones exactly like it for 15K less. So that's exactly what we put an offer on yesterday. We found a brand new one that sits kind of funny in the neighborhood, but has over a half acre lot. Same floor plan, same colors, everything. HUGE backyard. No landscaping in the back since it's new and it needs some of the fence put in (it shares a backyard with 4 other neighbors, so it needs a few sections). We met a couple of the neighbors and I think we'll really like living there. Anyway, we put in an offer and we'll find out soon.

In the meantime, I got a call from St. Mark's, the Catholic school I interviewed with and found out I got the job. I'm very excited! From the people I've met and things I've heard about the school, I think I'll be very happy there. I'll be teaching 7th grade Reading, English and Social Studies. I've never taught history before, so that will be a fun new challenge. I taught 7th grade English for 3 years though, so it will balance out :)

We leave on Wednesday for Utah. I am so excited. My uncle rented a cabin in the mountains and we have family coming from Idaho, Pennsylvania, Utah and California. We'll have 7 kids under 8, so it should be tons of fun for my boys. They just don't get to see their cousins enough since we're so spread out. We have different games and activities planned for the kids each day, so they are super excited, especially about the treasure hunt Grandma is planning.

I'm going to sign off for now. I'm hoping to actually get my stamps out today and create, but we'll see.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

of looking at houses!! The first house our offer was rejected for being too low and they didn't even counter. Found another house that was GORGEOUS! Tile, granite, theater room, upgraded EVERYTHING, but NO BACKYARD. None, a few feet of grass and only a two car garage. We've been going back and forth, but decided not to put in an offer because we had to many questions about whether it would work. No storage space inside and with no space in the garage, I just don't know. To top it off, the people were not happy about leaving and took all the appliances, so we're looking at having to buy a dishwasher, stove/microwave, and fridge. Plus, it's a bank owned and our realtor told us that those are taking anywhere from 2 to 4 months. I really can't wait four months. She's going to talk to the realtor for the first house one more time and see if they're willing to move on the price at all. If not, we're back to square one. There are lots out there, but sadly most don't have big backyards, which is something we really, really want.

Our poor realtor deserves a medal for putting up with us. I would say she's spent close to 20 hours just looking at houses with us. Luckily ( or maybe not so lucky for her) she's also a family friend. She's been great at helping us look at all options and look at how each house would work for us instead of just pushing houses on us. However, I told her I am so ready to be done WORKING with her and go back to just enjoying her company--LOL! Seriously, I just want a house and to have all our stuff back.

Forgive my whining and complaining. We do have some fun things coming up. Next week we leave to head down to Utah for a family reunion. I can't wait. Then Mike told me this morning he has to go to Portland for work in the next few weeks. I think we're going to tag along and go see my sister and my new (ok 3 month old) nephew. That should be a lot of fun!

Here's a pic of the house--think good thoughts. That the owners will give it to us for the price we need!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Ok, actually 6th--LOL! We had a fun 4th. My mom's neighborhood had a block party, and we got to visit and eat while the kids all played with water balloons and squirt guns. Then we lit tons of fireworks. Austin got totally into it this year. Brendan sat in Grandma's lap with his hands over his ears the whole time. I'll try to upload some pics this week.

We put an offer on a house this weekend. We'll know by tomorrow night if they accept the offer or not. It's a great house--4 bedrooms plus a den and a loft. Nice big backyard for the boys. We're really hoping we get it. As for the job, I'm meeting with some of the other teachers this week and if all goes well, I should sign a contract by the end of the week. Lots of things to look forward to this week.

We took the boys to see WALL-E today. It was a cute movie. I still like Cars and FindingNemo better, but Austin LOVED it! Poor Brendy fell asleep. Crazy kid. Uncle Taylor, his girlfriend and Grandma and Papa came along too.

Would you believe I haven't touched my scrapbook stuff in over two weeks. I'm just not motivated and every time I do, I realize what I forgot to pack with me. I do have a CTMH order coming soon though, so maybe it will be the kick in the rear I need to start creating again. I just seem to be falling behind on everything, including my blog. Once everything gets settled maybe that will change.

Anyway, just wanted to check in. Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend.

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About Me

Hi! I'm a busy middle school teacher and mom to two wonderful boys. I've been married to my best friend Mike for 18 years. I LOVE scrapbooking and creating handmade projects.
I am a consultant for Close To My Heart, a scrapbook and stamping company. I love it because it gives me a chance to be creative and also teach others how to make beautiful handmade cards and preserve their precious memories.
When I'm not grading papers or scrapping and stamping, I can be found playing with my kiddos or with my nose deep in a book (or my Kindle as the case may be).